Bhubaneswar, 14 April (H.S.): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a mixed weather pattern for Odisha over the coming week, warning of rising heat and humidity across much of the state even as isolated thunderstorms are expected to return from April 17.

According to the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, a north-south trough extending from south Assam to south Tamil Nadu, along with an upper air cyclonic circulation over Jharkhand and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal, continues to influence weather conditions in the state.

Over the past 24 hours, the impact of these systems was evident, with light to moderate rainfall reported in isolated areas of southern districts such as Ganjam and Kandhamal, while most other regions remained dry. Chikiti recorded 4 cm of rainfall, while Daringibadi received 1 cm. Shallow fog was also observed in parts of Keonjhar district.

Temperature fluctuations remained modest, with coastal areas experiencing a slight drop of 2–3°C, while interior regions saw a marginal rise of around 2°C. Titilagarh recorded the highest temperature in the state at 41.0°C, whereas Rourkela registered the lowest minimum temperature at 21.1°C.

The IMD has cautioned that dry weather conditions will prevail across Odisha for the next couple of days, accompanied by hot and humid conditions, particularly in coastal and adjoining districts. A Yellow Warning has been issued for several districts, including Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati, where discomfort due to humidity is likely.

From April 16, attention is expected to shift to western Odisha, where heatwave conditions may develop in isolated areas of districts such as Bolangir, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur and Sonepur. The intensity and spread of heat are likely to increase in subsequent days, extending to districts including Angul, Boudh, Kandhamal and Sundergarh.

Despite the rising heat, the IMD has indicated a change in weather from April 17, with light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms likely at isolated places. Northern districts such as Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Balasore may experience thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30–40 kmph.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda